Evolution Redux
by Leishy
Summary: An alternate version of XMen Evolution where instead of being a series on it's own, it serves as a prequel to the classic XMen: The Animated Series! UPDATE: Holy Hell, is that chapter 3?
1. In the beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men TAS, I do not own them Sam I Am, I do not own them in a box, I do not own them with a fox, I do not own them here nor there, I do not own them anywhere...And so on.

Alrighty then, this is my fic about what life was like for the X-Men on the old series before Jubilee showed up. A prequel of sorts, if you please. It will feature a group of "New Recruits" that did not appear in the series as we saw it(with the exception of Gambit and Rogue), save one. The New Recruits are Gambit, Sage, Psylocke, Shadowcat, Thunderbird III, Beserker, Rogue and Spyke. A little odd, I know, but bear with me here. There is a method to my madness.

Essentially, the story starts off where the series left off, after Xavier was taken by the Shi'ar to recover from his injuries. The team is on their own and trying to reconnect as a family unit after losing their father figure. Magneto did not stick around to take Xavier's place, none of that crap. It is during this time together that they start talking about the old days, and the story goes back in time to when they had the New Recruits. The story will most likely stay in that timeframe, not following a strict series of events, but more like various anecdotes.

Also, I will be taking liberties with how each one joined the team. Spyke, for instance will have no relation to Storm. Beserker won't be part of the Morlocks 'cause we haven't met them yet. Pyslocke will be British, since the Asian one was in the series. Instead of Gambit turning to Sinister when his powers go out of control like in the comics, he will turn to Professor Xavier. Sage is not a spy, just yet. Rogue we kind of already know how she got there and will most likely be the last one to join. Thunderbird III, who will not be called the third, will just be recruited. And Shadowcat's joining will probably follow the scenario that we saw in the 616.

Everyone following so far? Good.

'Cause here we go with Evolution Redux!

XxXxX

_The Holiday season is usually a time of good cheer, peace on earth, good will t'wards men, all that silly sentiment. For those under the roof of the spacious mansion that resides in Westchester county, New York, the season is being received in a less that joyous fashion._

_It had been six months since the act of a sad angry little man caused Charles Xavier to nearly lose his life. Six months since they had said what they thought would be their final goodbyes to their leader. Six months...since he had been taken away by an empress from another world to be healed. Their lives have not been the same since._

_The first thing their field commander had ordered after the fact, was that they all take some much needed time for themselves; to reflect and come to terms with what they had gone through. At least two weeks, he had told them. If they needed more time, then go ahead. Most of them had stuck around for a few days, trying to get over their initial shock. Logan had, of course, taken off that same night. What was surprising was that he had been the first one back. The rest had gone off to whatever place would give them the most comfort along with whoever would give the most comfort. _

_Their return had them attempting to go back to their old routine, but it had gotten exceedingly difficult knowing that things weren't the same anymore._

_So, in order go help each other, it was determined that they would have regular "family meetings" in order to touch base and discuss anything and everything that was on their minds._

_It is on one of these nights that we join the mutants that comprise the X-Men..._

XxXxX

"...I think that should do it. Alright Gumbo, do yer thing."

The aforementioned Cajun reached into the popcorn bowl and began to charge up a few pieces. When they were done just enough, he tossed them into the fireplace where old newspaper and kindling were waiting. The popcorn burst on contact with just enough force to ignite everything and get the fire going.

"And you said we'd need a lighter." Logan turned to look at Scott.

"I said it'd be better to have a lighter, I've seen Remy do the same thing only with not as nice results." Scott went back over to his spot on the couch next to his lovely wife Jean. Lucky for him, Remy wasn't paying attention, so he didn't receive any smart ass comments back.

At that moment, both Ororo and Jubilee came back into the cozy living room with trays of hot chocolate for everyone. Once everyone was settled with food and drink, they feel into relatively easy conversation. It wasn't until Rogue gave her boyfriend a little jab in the side that he snapped back from La-La land.

"What's going on in that head of yours, sugah?" She purred in his ear, wrapping an arm around his neck. Remy tilted his head off to one side, looking like he was in the process of discovering something.

"I jus' got de weirdest feelin' of _de'ja vu_..." He started, looking towards Scott and Jean. "You two shouldn't be here." This caused an uproar from Hank and Morph, who seemingly refused to stop laughing, while the others managed to cover their mouths with various pillows and blankets.

"Gee, thanks Remy, we love you too." Jean said, half serious, half laughing herself.

"No, seriously! It used to be dat you two wouldn't be here jus' yet, 'cause you'd be off makin' out somewhere." That, of course, got everyone going again.

"Oh man! I totally remember that!" Morph cried, then shifted into Jean, but a slightly younger version. "Oh Scotty, you're such a hottie! Take me now!" He then shifted into a younger Scott. "Well, alrighty then. How about right out here in the hallway so everyone will see us!" That was all Morph could take as he shifted back to himself and nearly fell off the couch laughing.

"It was one time! Jeez you guys, you're never gonna let us forget that are you?" Scott whined.

"Actually, I believe there was more than one occasion that you and Jean were caught in a rather compromising position." Ororo commented in a rather off-handed manner. This caused yet another round of laughter.

"This is your fault for bringing it up." Scott glared at Remy, at least, he was most likely glaring, it was really hard to tell with his shades in the way.

"Well it's true! You're in Kitty and Betsy's spot. You two would always get stuck at opposite ends of de couch wit' Evan and Neal in between." He stated very matter-of-factly.

"Hey, yeah..." Rogue started, a look of recognition starting to dawn on her face. "And Tessa woulda won the comfy chair from Hank...somehow."

"She only managed to do that a few times!" Hank defended himself. "Besides, how was I to know that she was able to recite the numbers that make up pi into the thousands?"

"She coulda gone on longa, but the rest of us were gettin' bored." Rogue reminded him.

It was at this point that Jubilee was thoroughly confused by the whole conversation, and decided to voice that fact.

"Okay! Time out! Someone wanna explain just what you're talking about!?" She cried.

"...And you're in Ray's spot..." Remy continued.

"Argh! Stop it! Seriously! Who are all these people?"

"Calm down Jubes, they're just former students, that all." Scott said.

"Hey, whoa, they were not just 'former students'!" Rogue rounded on him. "They were our friends..."

"...And partners in crime if I'm not mistaken." Ororo commented.

"And first aid buddies whenever Logan tried to gut one of us." Remy interjected, giving a pointed look at the older man.

"Hey, I..." He stopped and thought for a second. "Well yeah."

Well, come on! I wanna hear about this!" Jubilee whined. "Come to think of it, I don't even know how you two wound up here..." She trailed off, looking towards Remy and Rogue.

"Oh lord, do we gotta talk about that?" Rogue took a sip from her mug. "It's not all that interestin'...really."

"Oh, well, I think that would be a great idea!" Scott said with a slightly evil twinge to his voice.

"I can think of just as many embarrassin' stories 'bout you as you can 'bout us dere, Scotty." Remy replied with a definite evil twinge to his voice.

"Well, it is true that Jubilee really doesn't know much about the days before she arrived here." Ororo spoke up thoughtfully. "Perhaps it would be nice to talk about the 'old days'."

"Yeah! I wanna hear it! Please?" Jubilee looked around the room, giving the other occupants the best sad little puppy look she could muster.

"Dat could take awhile..." Remy said. "You in it for the long haul?"

"Yes yes yes! Pleeeeeeeze!?"

The rest of the X-Men just sort of looked at each other.

"Well, I guess we'd have to go back to the day we got our first new recruit." Jean began.

"Oh yeah? Who was that?" Jubilee asked.

"A young girl from Chicago, by the name of Kitty Pryde..."

XxXxX

Alrighty! That's the first chapter! Sort of a prologue to the rest of the story.

Don't have much to say just yet, just looking for some feedback as to whether or not this is a story I should continue with or not.

So please leave a review and tell me what you think!

Leishy.


	2. Here Kitty, Kitty

Chapter 2:

Here Kitty, Kitty

XxXxX

_When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,_

_A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical._

_And all the birds in the trees, well they'd be singing so happily,_

_Oh joyfully, playfully watching me._

_But then they sent me away to teach me how to be sensible,_

_Logical, oh responsible, practical._

_And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,_

_Clinical, oh intellectual, cynical._

"_The Logical Song" – Supertramp_

XxXxX

It had all happened so fast...

One minute, she was just a normal teenager. She lived in a nice, quiet suburb of Chicago, went to school, took dance classes, and had friends...

Next thing ya know, she's falling through the solid floor into the living room where her parents are having a little party with all their friends. As if having them all stare at her wondering just what the Hell happened, one ignorant bastard starts screaming about a ghost, and they all run out...

She and her parents had a nice long talk...oh who was she kidding, they talked, well yelled at each other and she sat there and watched.

It wasn't until her parents received an odd phone call that they stopped being all wigged out.

A nice lady with gorgeous white hair and deep mocha skin had come to the house to discuss, or perhaps rather pitch, the idea of some kind of boarding school for "gifted" people...or something. It had made a bizarrely profound impact on her parents; they seemed to forget all about the whole falling through the floor thing and were gung-ho about her going off to a special school, must be because she's so smart and all.

Which leads us up to now...

The cab right from the airport had been a long one. She had dozed off a few times, until the cab had lurched to a sudden stop outside a set of gates. She was defiantly expected, since the gates opened without having to muck around with the massive keypad attached to the wall.

As the car drove up to the front door, she saw it open and the same lady who had come to the house step out, along with an older man in a wheel chair follow. Her bags retrieved and payment made, the cab drove off, leaving the young girl with the two strange adults.

"Hello Miss Pryde, it's a pleasure to meet you at last." The man said. "I am Professor Charles Xavier, and I believe you already met Miss Munroe here." He gestured to Ororo.

"Y-yes sir, I have..." She stuttered. "Well, sorta..."

"Hello Kitty." Ororo said. "It's good to see you again dear." Her calm demeanor and gentle smile allow Kitty to relax a bit.

"Thank you, Miss Munroe." Kitty said, picking up her bags.

"Let's go inside and get Miss Pryde settled, then we shall have some dinner, and discuss how we do things around here."

XxXxX

Later on that evening, long after most of the other residents had gone to sleep, Kitty was wide awake, writing away in her journal the event s of the past few hours.

She had met the other people who lived in the mansion, which was a rather...mixed group, to say the least.

Aside from the Professor, she had found out that Miss Munroe was more commonly referred to as Storm. After a little demo, she understood why. It was kinda scary, seeing Storm in having–the-elements-at-my-command mode, but she then learned that it wasn't without a price; Storm had to keep her emotions in check at all times, less her powers spiral out of control.

Then there had been Scott Summers, walking around with his sunglasses at night. It had been explained to her that he couldn't remove them, less he fire one of his optic blasts and take her head clean off. He was the leader guy; that much she could discern.

Next came a lovely young woman named Jean Grey. She was just like the Professor, she could read minds, and move stuff with her mind. Made Kitty wish she had a cooler power...

After Jean, she met this goofy guy the others all called Morph. Apparently he didn't go by anything else; although she was assured he had a real name. Like Storm, his name summed up his powers perfectly. Shape-shifter...lucky bastard.

Probably the biggest shock had been meeting the school's doctor, Hendry McCoy. Come on, how often do you meet a giant, blue, furry...beast? Appropriately enough, that's what he went by. He was an incredibly brilliant man, after talking to him for a few minutes, Kitty had nearly forgotten how he looked.

That brought her up to the last member of this outfit...Oh lordy, that was scary.

That one had this almost empty look in his eyes, like he was missing something. That and his hair was sticking out at weird spots. He had just walked by her without a glance, growling, yes growling, all the while. Kitty had been told that he was called Wolverine for the most part. He was there because the Professor was helping him control his rage...that was real comforting.

And so now she sits in her spacious room, a little apprehensive about her new living situation, but willing to give it a try for the time being.

Storm had told her that she wouldn't be the only young person there for much longer. The Professor was constantly monitoring for mutants who were in need of help. Be it with their powers, their life, or whatever. She found that a little freaky, like this guy was Big Brother or something, but if it meant she'd have people closer to her own age around, she could live with it.

XxXxX

A couple weeks had gone by since the arrival of Kitty Pryde. She had begun her training in the use of her powers, which had been dubbed 'phasing' by the Professor. Apparently she was able to manipulate her own molecules and separate them, or something, and this caused her to be able to move her body through solid objects...it didn't make sense to her, but he's the guy with the title of Professor, so she decided to believe him.

She was currently in the mansions' gym, just practicing walking through various pieces of equipment, with Storm watching over.

"So when do I get to start some hardcore training with the rest of you?" Kitty asked, standing through a weight bench. "I mean, this experimenting stuff is all well and good, but how am I supposed to know what I can really do if I don't get a chance to try?"

"Charles would rather wait until he has fully analyzed your powers, then he will arrange a suitable program for you to begin more intensive training." Storm replied.

"But I wanna know what you guys all do!" Kitty whined. "I mean, 'danger room' just sounds really cool!"

"I'm sure that you're also able to determine that with a name like 'Danger room', there is a significant amount of danger involved." Storm said with a smile.

"Oh ha ha! That's soooo funny!" Kitty laughed. "Hey, can I ask you something?" She made her way through the bench and over to Storm.

"Of course you can, Kitty." Storm made a gesture for Kitty to have a seat on the floor. "What's on your mind?"

"It's just that, well, I'm really starting to like it here, you and Mr. McCoy and Jean are all super nice." Kitty started. "But it's that I kinda miss having people my own age to talk to...not that I think you're old or anything!"

"That's alright, I know what you mean." Storm laughed. "But that's not something you're going to have to worry about for much longer, Kitten. Charles has located at least two possible new recruits and is always looking for more."

"Really?! That'd be awesome!" Kitty jumped up and did a little happy dance. At that moment, Cyclops entered the room.

"Storm, Professor Xavier finally got a lock on that one mutant, he wants you to go with him to try help." He stated in his super-leader-guy-type voice. "Hey, Kitty."

"Hi, Scott." She replied.

"Where is the mutant now?" Storm asked, getting up from her spot on the floor. "I thought Charles wasn't able to get a solid lock on him?"

"He wasn't, but there was a huge burst of energy and suddenly he was able to." He said. "He thinks the mutant is in Seattle."

"Hey, can I come?" Kitty piped up. Both Storm and Cyclops turned to her, almost having forgotten that she was there.

"I don't think that's a good idea Kitty." Cyclops said. "The power fluctuations of this mutant could mean that he's dangerous. We don't want you getting hurt."

"Oh. Okay." Kitty muttered, feeling a little dejected.

"Don't worry Kitty, if all goes well, you'll have someone to train with." Storm said as she made her way out the door. "Which means you may be able to get some time in the Danger Room."

Kitty got a rather wicked evil grin on her face at the prospect of getting cooler training, plus she might have a new friend, so she let it go.

On the way to the lower levels, Storm and Cyclops were discussing their youngest member.

"Do you think that was wise to promise something like Danger Room training? She might not be too impressed when she finds out that she won't be training in there for awhile, partner or no." Cyclops mentioned.

"Perhaps it was a bit hasty, but she will work very hard to get herself to a level where she will be ready for a challenge like the Danger Room." Storm replied. "She is adapting better that I could have hoped."

"Her powers aren't much in the way of offence, like the rest of us." Cyclops started, thinking out loud. "I was thinking we ought to have her take on some weapons training, something she could focus on while we get her ready for the harder stuff."

"That's not a bad idea actually." She mused. "Perhaps Logan could..."

"Whoa! Lets not scare the girl to death before she's been here a month." He looked at her with what she had to assume was bewilderment.

"As long as she takes it seriously, Logan will be fine." Storm defended.

"The last thing I want is for her to wind up gutted because he couldn't control his anger." Cyclops retorted.

"Alright, we can discuss it with Kitty later." Storm rolled her eyes at his comment. Scott and Logan's anger towards each other seemed to be never-ending. "Right now we have more important things to deal with."

"Right, right." He brought himself back to the here and now. "Well, good luck in Seattle."

"Thank you, hopefully we will be able to help this one." Storm mused.

XxXxX

AN: Well, it begins. Kitty's here, and the rest are on their way.

It feels a little slow at the moment, but it's going to pick of once the other new mutants show up.

I have a feeling the rating may go up further down the line, I had an idea for a little multi-part arc for this story, which I am very eager to incorporate.

Thanx to xpoisonedxangelx, darkstorm5000, Jessica, and Blacknight369 for reviewing.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. :)

See ya next time!

-Leishy


	3. People are Strange

Chapter 3

XxXxX

_(when this began)_

_I had nothing to say_

_And I get lost in the nothingness inside of me_

_(I was confused)_

_And I let it all out to find_

_That I'm not the only person with these things in mind_

_(inside of me)_

_But all that they can see the words revealed_

_Is the only thing that I've got left to feel_

_(nothing to lose)_

_Just stuck, hollow and alone_

_And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own_

"_Somewhere I Belong" – Linkin Park_

XxXxX

The theater had seen better days.

Back in its glory, it had been a place of inspiring drama, heartfelt tragedy, and uproarious comedy.

All that's gone now.

Not because of him or anything, though it certainly looked like it could've been his fault.

Like everything else.

A fire had claimed this place not too long ago. Electrical problems was said to be the cause. It's entirely possible; it is a very old building.

Others said the theater was cursed; perhaps someone had dared to use the word 'Macbeth' during a performance instead of 'The Scottish Play', and brought copious amounts of bad luck down upon the building.

Either way, it was a perfect place for a young man to hide out in.

Hopefully that last little…uh…surge, hadn't been noticed.

XxXxX

Flying at a speed not associated with commercial airlines, the Blackbird carried its two occupants towards its destination: Seattle, Washington, or more specifically, The Laurel Theater.

The readings Cerebro had gotten were erratic to say the least, one minute the mutant was there, and the next there was no trace of him. There were energy surges periodically, but Charles was unable to determine what sort of power the mutant possessed.

"When he blinks off of Cerebro's radar, it leads me to think there is some sort of telepathy, but these releases of energy suggest something else, I can't figure it out." Charles mused as they neared their destination.

"We shall just have to wait and see when we arrive." Storm replied. On the outside, she appeared calm, but her mind was racing. 'So far we have done well with having a new mutant around, Kitty has been very receptive to the idea of the X-Men, who's to say anyone else we come across would be?'

Charles was having similar thoughts. It wasn't going to be easy to convince anyone to put their life on the line in order to achieve peace. But he still felt confident that he would be able to help young mutants deal with their powers in an environment that wasn't threatening.

His current roster of students was quite the melting pot. Three were part of the original team, while the rest had only been around for a few years. They were, however, all very experienced in what they did, so Charles felt it time to bring on some new blood, as it were.

Looking down at the screen before him, he saw that they were rapidly approaching Seattle, and turned his mind to this new mutant.

XxXxX

Taking a look around to make sure no one was watching him, the young man made his way back into the theater after a trip out to get something to eat.

A quick trip through the crowded streets of downtown Seattle had given him enough cash to last him for a few days at least. He almost felt bad for those he had just ripped off, knowing that right about now they'd be panicking about their missing wallets. But you gotta do what you gotta do to survive on your own. He'd learned this over the course of the few months he'd been on the run. No one was going to hand him anything; case in point, the clothes he was currently wearing he had taken from the back pack of some burnout that had been passed out after having way too much reefer. Buddy was still stuck in the grunge era, so he himself now looked like he belonged in some garage band.

He could handle that for now. It wasn't like he was trying to impress anyone.

Making his way back towards his little hideout with a sandwich and bottle of water he'd picked up at some 7-11, he'd begun wondering if this was really it for him. Was he actually going to spend the rest of his days hiding in abandoned buildings, wearing clothes that so did not fit him, and live off of gas station food? Didn't really sound all that appealing, but figured that he'd worry about that after he'd eaten his meal, meager as it was.

Finally reaching the theater, he made pushed aside the loose board that covered the entrance and made his way over to the once extravagant stage and over to the corner that he had claimed as his own…not that there was anyone around to contest it, but whatever.

Just as he was about to take his first bite, he felt a pricking sensation in the back of his mind. He was about to chalk it up to nerves and go back to his sandwich, when he felt it again; that almost cold sensation of something foreign touching his consciousness. Standing up slowly, he looked around the vast building to see if anyone had found their way in while he was gone. Not sensing a presence in the building, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes. It was a habit he wanted to eventually break, but there were times when he needed the deep, calming breathing that smoking provided.

Not even thinking about it, instead of using a lighter, he placed his finger and the tip of the smoke and sent a tiny charge through it…

XxXxX

"Storm, do you copy?" Jean's voice echoed through Storm's tiny earpiece that acted as her link back to the mansion.

"Yes Jean, I can hear you just fine. Please go ahead."

"The mutant you're trying to find just used his powers, Cerebro has managed to pinpoint his location."

"Oh thank goodness, this will save us so much time." Storm said as Jean gave her the location. "Hopefully we won't return empty handed."

"I agree," Xavier said, having head the same conversation, only inside his own head as opposed to a microphone. "This theater isn't too far from here, we should be able to make it there before he takes off again."

"How exactly are we going to persuade him to come with us? If he's hiding out in an abandoned building, he may be a runaway, and if he is, he most likely won't be too trusting…" Storm trailed off.

"Not unlike when I first met you, is it?" Charles asked with a slight smile.

"It's not every day you have someone talking to you without opening their mouth." Storm replied matter-of-factly.

"Alright, no mind-talk this time. Just old fashioned conversation."

"I believe it's this way." Storm said, half rolling her eyes as they made their way to what would hopefully be their next recruit.

Not two seconds later, an explosion was heard down the block,

XxXxX

Okay, so maybe using his 'power' to light a cigarette wasn't the smartest idea. He didn't exactly have the best control over it at times, but one little charge shouldn't have done this much damage! He looked around at the mass of broken wood, wire and old velvet that now graced the floor of the stage. What used to be the stage curtains now laid in a massive heap after his smoke had gotten a little too hot to handle, and unthinkingly been tossed into the air.

He was about to try and shove the debris off to one side, when he heard someone try to come through the loose board at the entranceway.

Christ, he should've known that somebody was going to hear that one! He bolted for the ladder that took him up to the rickety catwalk. Looking down at his few possessions, he cursed himself for not grabbing them. It might be the cops trying to get in, and they'd have dogs that could sniff him out and…they must be slacking off or something, most police units wouldn't send in a guy in a wheelchair.

XxXxX

Using a small bolt of lightning, Storm managed to blast the through some of the planks of wood that were used to board up the entranceway. Clearing a path to make it easier for Charles to maneuver his wheelchair, the pair made their way into dusty mess of a theatre.

"I don't suppose we could just knock the whole place down and scare him out." Storm said mostly to herself. "It might be an improvement." She looked around the building distastefully.

Charles gave her a look. "Now Ororo, what kind of attitude is that? I'd expect a remark like that from Logan before you." He said with a wry grin.

"Perhaps Logan is rubbing off on me…"She trailed off, realizing the possible implications of what she'd just said.

Just as Charles gave a small laugh, they heard another quiet laugh echo through the massive room.

"Hello?" Storm called out, and received no answer. "Come on now, we know you're there, we heard you…laughing at me." She finished with a rather indignant huff.

Masculine laughter by the sounds of it. A creaking sound was heard in the vicinity of the upper part of the stage, followed by some mild cursing. Giving away one's position was one of his first lessons back in…well, in 'the before time'.

"We're not here to hurt you, young man." Charles called out. "We only wish to talk." Still no response.

If I may, Charles?" Storm inquired of her mentor. At his nod, her eyes began to fade to a milky white and a fair wind picked up inside the building.

XxXxX

How in the Hell does a tornado form inside a building? His mind screamed as the catwalk started to sway. Not exactly the most stable ground, he quickly made his way to the ladder and all but slid down before he was blown off.

From his vantage point on stage left, he got a better look at his visitors. Was the woman causing the wind? This is crazy!

_Not as crazy as you'd think. _A voice spoke within the recesses of his mind, causing him to jump despite himself. The voice wasn't threatening, but the fact that it was in his head and not spoken aloud, made him even more wary.

"You needn't be afraid, we are here to help you." The woman spoke, at least it was out loud.

Chancing a better look, He stuck his head out from behind the wall. "Who are you?" He asked, the other occupants of the theater detecting a southern lilt to his voice. "And what the Hell do you want?"

XxXxX

Finally seeing the one they had been seeking, both Storm and Xavier visibly relaxed. The young man seemed willing to talk with them.

"My name is Charles Xavier, and this is my associate, Ororo Munroe." Charles said, trying in vain to see a face hidden in the shadows, only to see a faint red glow. "We are like you, we are also mutants."

If he didn't know better, Charles would have sworn that the glowing had gotten brighter, if only for a second. "I ain't a mutant." The voice said indignantly.

"I think that explosion we heard would suggest otherwise." Storm said, also trying to get a better look without scaring him off.

"Cherry bomb."

"I highly doubt a cherry bomb could have caused that." Storm pointed to the other side of the stage, at the splintered and charred wood left over from the cigarette incident.

The young man said nothing.

"Do you suppose that you might come out into the light? It seems only fair that if you can see us, that we ought to be able to see you as well?" Charles asked in as calming a voice as he could make. The mutant seemed to consider this, and with what appeared to be much trepidation, took one step out from his hiding place. Taking this as a good sign, Charles continued. "As I said, we are mutants. Like you, we have special abilities that make us different from other human beings. I know how difficult it can be when you're alone and trying to cope with strange powers that seem more like a curse than a blessing. But you are not alone, there are others out there like you, who deal with the same issues and stresses that you've been facing for years!"

Another step out of the shadows. "I highly doubt that." He said, thinking back to all the drama he'd had to deal with back home.

"Well, perhaps not _all_, but in terms of gaining control over your abilities, I'd wager it would be very close." Charles conceded. Yet another step was taken out of the shadows, allowing them to get their first good look at the mutant they had come to help.

A fairly tall, lanky boy of about seventeen stepped out before them, ripped clothes hanging loosely on his frame. Reddish-brown hair hung over his eyes, which gave both Storm and Xavier a brief start; A burning red over a sea of black stared harshly back at them. He clearly hadn't eaten a well-balanced meal in quite some time, and a shower probably would hurt either.

"Is there a point to all'a this?" He asked, seriously wondering why he was even listening to these people.

"I'm getting to that, please, just hear me out a few minutes more." Charles continued. "I run a place that reaches out to young mutants, giving them an opportunity to use develop their powers, as well as a chance to interact with others who share your problems."

"As well as a roof over your head and three meals a day" Storm interceded. She had been in this boy's situation once before herself, she knew that these were comforts that he hadn't seen for quite some time.

"Yes, that as well. I help young mutants control their powers and show how they can be used to better the world, and themselves." Charles said. He could see the young man's façade was starting to falter.

"And jus' what do you want as repayment for this 'generosity'?" The mutant retorted. "People don't offer somethin' for nothin'." No way in Hell was he gonna be some sick old man's plaything.

"Nothing, except that you keep your room clean and engage in regular training exercises." Storm said. She saw the brief flash of fear and contempt in his eyes.

"For real?" He asked.

"Really really." Storm replied. She stepped up onto the stage and looked directly into his eyes. "Trust me on this, I know what you've been going through here, I had to do it myself for a time when I was younger. I know how miserable it can be living with nothing and wondering if you're ever going to get another meal, or if someone is going to come along and kill you in your sleep for the shoes on your feet."

Her voice was calm, soothing. He could tell that she really could empathize with his situation, though he wasn't sure how. "You'd really help me?" He asked in a small voice. Hard as it was to believe, he really did want to know more about his so called gift, and these people seemed pretty sincere.

"Yes. That is what we do." Storm said, silently thanking her Goddess that they might be able to help one that had been so like her.

"I do have one request though." Charles said. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell us your name?"

Running a hand through his matted hair, the mutant pondered for a second. "How 'bout for the time bein', you just call me Gambit?"

XxXxX

AN: Wow, it's been a cow's age since I even looked at this story! I'm not sure if all that happy with this chapter, but for some reason I was struck with an urge to continue with it. Upper level university gets in the way of writing for leisure.

So, yeah, Remy's in the mix now. Don't know if I did him justice, it's hard to come up with a convincing way for a teenage runaway to go off with some old dude without it sounded gross. But, I tried my best. Hope those that read this like it.

Next Time: Psylocke makes her grand entrance


End file.
